Group 1 stage for Flora Of Bermuda

On the week where her name sake Flora Duffy (2020 Olympic Gold Medalist) completed in her fifth and final Olympics, Flora Of Bermuda will herself aim for top-class honours in the Gr.1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Sunday.

A proud Bermudian, Simon Scupham of Bermuda Racing was quick to add his praise for the Bermuda’s talented triathlete and first ever Gold medalist: 

“We are incredibly proud of Flora Duffy. To race at the Olympics after what she thought was a career-ending knee injury and placing 5th after only racing twice since 2022 is incredible.”

Looking to Sunday’s feature race at Deauville, approximately 200km North-East of the Olympic events in Paris, Flora Of Bermuda lines up in the Group 1 event over 6½f for horses aged 3 and above.

Deauville is a place of fond memories for Bermuda Racing, being the racecourse where Johnny Barnes (the first horse Bermuda Racing purchased) won his Group 3 Prix Quincey Barriere under Frankie Dettori. This subsequently lead to one of Frankie’s trademark ‘flying dismounts’ and is a day Simon recounts as a most memorable in racing.

A galant winner of the Group 3 Summer Stakes at York on her last start over 6f on July 12 on the Knavesmire, our talented filly won in such a determined way, staying all the way to the line, that her dynamic ability suggests she could stay that bit further still.

In just 3 starts of her three-year-old campaign, Flora Of Bermuda has already placed 2nd in the Listed Scurry Stakes (5f), before going on to win the Gr.3 Summer Stakes (6f) reversing the placings with Adaay In Devon. With our high-class daughter of Dark Angel being in such strong form, she absolutely deserves her shot on this Group 1 stage - “while we have live bullets to fire, we’ll take our shot at firing them at the best targets."

Here’s hoping for a big run and fond memories again at Deauville. Best of luck to Flora Of Bermuda!

“Allez Dame Flora… you have earned your spot in this historical Deauville showpiece.” - Simon Scupham